The momentum behind 5G, the rapidly evolving wireless cellular technology, shows no signs of slowing down, positioning it to surpass 4G LTE by over 2.5 billion connections in 2028, as per insights from 5G Americas.
In six months, the 5G landscape witnessed a staggering increase of 331 million new 5G connections, propelling the worldwide total to a commendable 1.4 billion. This surge in adoption, coupled with ongoing network deployments, sets the stage for a further acceleration, with projections hinting at a near approach to the 2 billion mark by the end of 2023. By 2028, Omdia’s latest forecast foresees an impressive 8 billion 5G connections, surpassing the initial decade of LTE growth by a substantial 2.5 billion connections.
5G Deployments as of September 15, 2023:
Global 5G Networks: 287
North America 5G Networks: 17
Latin America and Caribbean 5G Networks: 29
4G LTE Deployments as of September 15, 2023:
Global 4G LTE Networks: 707
North America 4G LTE Networks: 17
Latin America and Caribbean 4G LTE Networks: 31
North America Leading the 5G Race: North America continues to lead in the global 5G race, boasting an impressive 151 million 5G connections and a robust 496 million LTE connections by the end of Q2 2023. The 5G penetration rate in North America has reached an exceptional 40 percent, showcasing a growth rate of 25.5 percent in the first half of 2023. Projections suggest that North America’s 5G connections will surge to an extraordinary 669 million by 2028.
Kristin Paulin, Principal Analyst at Omdia, highlighted, “5G standalone is being deployed by North American operators, and it will bring advancements like network slicing, ultra reliable, low-latency communications and massive machine type communications, which will propel growth with this technology generation further.”
Latin America and the Caribbean Embrace Growth: In Latin America and the Caribbean, the growth of 4G LTE networks remains robust, with a quarterly growth rate of 1.9 percent, equivalent to 10.6 million new LTE connections in Q2 2023. The region is set to triple its 5G connections by the end of 2023, reaching a total of 62 million. Projections indicate a significant increase to a total of 501 million 5G connections by 2028.
Global 5G Network Expansion: The global 5G network landscape is expanding at a substantial pace, with 287 commercial 5G networks currently in operation worldwide. Projections suggest an increase to 425 networks by 2025, reflecting significant investments in 5G infrastructure on a global scale.
